Undercover
by FaithinBones
Summary: To solve the murder of an FBI agent Booth and Hodgins go undercover.
1. Chapter 1

(After "The Prisoner in the Pipe)

This story came about because of a conversation I had with daisesndaffidols. She and I think it's a shame that Booth and Hodgins haven't been undercover together. Since we haven't seen one so far, I decided to write one.

I definitely don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooo

Entering the Lab, Booth looked towards the platform to see if anyone was working up there. Finding it empty, Booth made his way towards Hodgins' office. Finding it empty, he stood in the doorway and looked down the hallway. Seeing the object of his search leave the Ooky room, Booth called out, "Hey Hodgins, I need to talk to you."

Happy to see Booth, the entomologist hurried over, "Hey what brings you here? I thought you'd be at home with Dr. B and the new baby."

Pulling his friend into Hodgin's office, Booth closed the door behind them, "I need to ask you a favor. You can say no so don't feel like you have to do this if you don't want to. I don't want you to do it if you're uncomfortable about the set up."

Curious, Hodgins sat down at his desk and faced Booth, "Okay, let's hear it."

Leaning against the door, Booth pulled his poker chip from his pocket and moved it between his fingers, "What do you know about Polonium-210?"

Interested in where this might be going, Hodgins responded, "I suppose you know the basics so I'll give you what you really want. It's extremely toxic. One microgram is enough to kill an average sized adult. The KGB used it to kill Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 and it's thought that's what was used to kill Yasser Arafat. There's no known cure and it isn't something that you'd want terrorists fooling around with. If you're unlucky enough to be the one poisoned you'll suffer from migraines, nausea and extreme pain. You'll lose your hair and your major organs will shut down. It takes a few weeks but in the end you'll die and it won't be a pleasant way to go."

Scratching the side of his face, Booth grimaced, "Okay. . . Is there a chance you'd be interested in going undercover with me? I could take another agent with me, but, I'd like to increase my chances of survival by taking an expert with me. I was offered the services of some scientist recommended by the CDC but I don't know that guy and I want to take someone with me that I can trust. . . If you don't want to do it I . . ."

His hand raised, Hodgins interrupted Booth, "I'll do it."

Pulling his lips between his teeth, Booth glanced around the room and then back at his friend, "Thanks. . . I'd take Bones but she just had our baby and well . . . So anyway, we had an agent turn up dead two days ago. From what we know, he wasn't working undercover. We assumed he was kidnapped since no one had seen or heard from him for a few weeks. When his body was discovered an autopsy was performed and that's when it was discovered that he was exposed to Polonium-210. He died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head but I've been told the Polonium-210 would have killed him in about forty days or so. To say the least, the higher ups are a little concerned. We have people where the body was found trying to trap the animals in the area and test them for the stuff. I'm not sure what would happen if someone ate the meat from an animal that had eaten Polonium-210 but it couldn't be good."

Fascinated, Hodgins asked, "That really doesn't sound good, does it? What was he doing if he wasn't undercover? Why would someone kidnap an agent and kill him like that? There has to be more to the story than that."

Placing his chip back into his pants pocket, Booth crossed his arms, "Of course there is. Agent Darnell worked out of Pittsburgh. He was trying to track down some rumors about some home grown terrorist organization that was setting up shop in the southern part of the state of Pennsylvania. He was working with mostly rumors but there seemed to be some truth in them and he'd started to narrow down his search to the Fulton County, Bedford County area of the state. The last time anyone heard from him was four weeks ago. He had got a tip about some lunk heads calling themselves 'Free America' and decided to drive down to McConnellsburg to check it out. That's the last time anyone at the agency had seen him. He talked to his wife the night before he disappeared. He was staying at the Best Western motel in Breezewood and was going to drive over to McConnellsburg the next morning. His body was found by some hikers in Buchannan State Park two days ago. When he disappeared, his laptop was retrieved from the hotel he'd been staying in. The Motel manager worried when Darnell didn't use the room for two days so she took his computer and his luggage and locked them up just in case Darnell came back for his stuff. When the FBI and his wife didn't hear from him they knew something bad had happened, they just didn't know what it was. Someone is supposed to get back with me about any notes Darnell may have had on the case he was working."

The hairs on the back of his neck rising, Hodgins ran his hand across the back of his neck, "Wow, this doesn't sound good."

Staring at the scientist, Booth asked him, "How would locals find Polonium-210 anyways? They don't have a nuclear power plant in those counties and you can't order it from a damn catalog."

Quick to reply, Hodgins informed him, "But they could order it from a catalog, just not how you mean it. They could buy anti-static fans. They use 31,500 microcuries of polonium as a power source. One fan would be enough to provide enough polonium to kill ten people. All you need is lab experience to know what you're doing when your working with that stuff. You can buy those fans online."

Feeling a little sick, Booth shook his head, "Okay, got it. I'd like to drive up to Bedford County tomorrow morning. Agent Darnell had left pretty good notes and this 'Free America' organization doesn't appear to be very big. He had a few names that he'd connected to the organization and we can start with them if you still want to go with me. They're all farmers and own mid-size farms. You can back out now if you want to."

Crossing his legs, Hodgins placed his hands on his thighs, "How do you plan to go undercover? Those people have a tendency to be clannish and don't take to outsiders that much. "

A smile crossing his face, Booth replied, "That's where you come in, Bones came up with an idea that might work. She told me about the American Chestnut tree and how we used to have billions of those trees in this country but they were almost wiped out in the eastern part of the country by chestnut blight. She said that there are several organizations trying to breed blight-resistant trees and trying to reintroduce them back into blight areas. I was hoping that you'd use your Cantilever ties and go undercover as yourself with me as your assistant. We . . ."

"Oh I get it," Excited, Hodgins uncrossed his legs and exclaimed, "Oh this is good. We could go up there and contact farmers and see if anyone would be interested in growing blight resistant trees. That is so cool. . . Yeah, and that might not be a bad project to be associated with. I could actually . . . yeah, I wouldn't mind actually getting the ball rolling trying to actually get farmers to plant blight resistant trees and . . . "

Holding up his hand, Booth frowned, "So you're interested?"

His enthusiasm growing, Hodgins jumped up from his chair, "Hell yeah. I just need to gather up some equipment that we can use to look for the Polonium and contact some researchers I know and get some information about their research on the blight resistant trees. We won't need any trees right now. We can contact farmers and present the fact that we may have some to plant in the future. . . Yeah, and while we're traveling around you can do your thing. This is so cool. I've never been undercover. Do I get a gun?"

Holding up his hands, Booth exclaimed, "Whoa there James Bond, no you don't get a gun. If we find out who has the polonium I plan to call in backup from the FBI out of Pittsburgh. We aren't taking down a terrorist organization by ourselves. That would be a stupid thing to do. No, if it gets a little dicey I'll protect us. You won't need a gun."

Shrugging his shoulders, Hodgins smirked, "Hey, it was worth a shot."

Ooooooooooooooo

Arriving home, Booth found Brennan in the kitchen, cooking dinner, "Hey Bones." Kissing her, he smiled, "Hodgins is going to work with me undercover, well as himself but you know what I mean."

Returning his kiss, Brennan glanced at Christine who was tucked in a baby carrier resting on the kitchen table, "I wish I could go with you."

"Hey, I do too, but you just had our baby four days ago and you are not ready to go back to work." Walking over to where their baby lay, Booth smiled down at his daughter, "Our daughter needs you right now and you need to give yourself a chance to recover. I'll be okay. Hodgins is a genius and he and I are going to use your idea about the American Chestnut trees. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be gone but I hope I won't be gone for more than a week or two. If I can't pinpoint where the polonium came from then the Agency will have to come up with some other plan. I really can't be away from my department for more than two weeks. The only reason why they want me to do it is because of my connections to Hodgins and his connections to the Cantilever Group. He loved the idea, so I'm the lead in this investigation for now."

Confident in her partner, Brennan smiled, "I'm certain you will be successful Booth. You are one of the best agents they have and with Hodgins' help I'm quite certain you will find the source."

Walking back over to where she was standing, Booth pulled Brennan into his embrace, "Maybe we'll go undercover again someday."

Kissing him, Brennan smiled, "Good, I'd like that."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Reviews would be wonderful. What do you think of my story? Any good?


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for your encouraging reviews. I appreciate them all.

I really don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooo

Arriving in Breezewood, Pennsylvania, Booth pulled into the parking lot for the Best Western Motel and found a parking space near the main entrance. Exiting his car, Booth stretched trying to work out a kink in his lower back.

Looking around, Booth pointed at the Hardees next door, "Once we get a room, I need to get some coffee." Walking over to the main entrance, Booth looked back at his companion, "I want to get two rooms side by side on the ground floor."

Following Booth into the lobby, the entomologist replied, "Since you work for me, I need to get the rooms."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth sat on a chair near the entrance and watched Hodgins register them and book two rooms.

Approaching the counter, Hodgins smiled at the young lady, "Hey, my name is Doctor Jack Hodgins. I'd like to book two rooms for about a week with a possibility of staying for two. I need two rooms on the bottom floor and side by side. My assistant and I would like non-smoking rooms if you have them available, please."

A bright smile on her face, Brenda took Hodgins drivers license and credit card and entered his data in her computer. "We have two nice rooms up front if you'd like them. They're next door to our breakfast room if you want to eat here in the morning. We have a nice breakfast buffet every morning which comes with the room."

Returning her smile, Hodgins glanced at Booth, "Sounds great." Taking his cards back, he placed them in his wallet and collected two entry keys to their rooms. "I'll let you know by the end of the week whether or not we need to stay an additional week."

Waving at Booth, Brenda cheerily replied, "Not a problem Dr. Hodgins if you or your assistant need my help with dinning recommendations or places to visit feel free to call me."

Enthusiastic, Hodgins walked back to the car with Booth following behind him. Arriving at the car he waited by the trunk of the car for Booth to unlock it. "I have a list of all of the farms located in Bedford, Fulton and Somerset Counties. Some of these farms are pretty old."

Popping the trunk of his car, Booth pulled out two bags and waited for Hodgins to remove his luggage. Once the bags were out of the car, Booth closed the trunk and walked towards their rooms, "Since Agent Darnell was last seen in the McConnellsburg area I think that's where we should start. Agent Kevin Spice and his partner April White are going to be working this case too. They're supposed to already be here. I arranged for them to meet us at the Denny's this evening at around six. They're undercover too."

Opening the door to his motel room, Hodgins glanced at Booth who was entering his room next door, "Hey Booth, I'll meet you at the Hardee's in a few. I could use some coffee too."

Pausing in the doorway, Booth replied, "Let me check my email and I need to make a quick call to let let Bones know we made it."

Ooooooooooooo

His coffee a little too bitter, Booth opened another sugar packet and dumped it in his coffee, "Okay, let me see that list you have of farms in Fulton County. I have some more information from Pittsburgh about where Darnell was supposed to be going when he disappeared. He had a list of four farms he was interested in and he'd interviewed the owners of the farms before he was killed. We don't want to limit ourselves to the four farms though. They'll just be where we start out investigation."

Handing the list over to Booth, Hodgins sipped his coffee and watched the traffic pass by on the road in front of the fast food restaurant. "If you know which farms Agent Darnell was interested in, you should be able to see if anyone connected to those farms have any lab experience. That might narrow down who your suspects are."

Studying the lists, Booth found the four farms he was interested in. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea. I'll email Angela and have her look into that for me."

Curious, Hodgins placed his cup down on the table in front of him, "What do you want to do first?"

The lists folded, Booth placed them next to his cup and replied, "I have the name of the tipster that contacted Darnell about 'Free America'. I want to drive over to Fulton County this afternoon and interview him first. Maybe he can narrow down our suspect list for us."

Drinking the rest of his coffee, Hodgins smiled, "This is so cool. I've never done anything like this before. I'm really getting in to this."

Twisting his lips, Booth shook his head, "Try to calm down a little there, Hodgins. This isn't a game. One agent has already been killed and I sure as hell don't want to be added to the list."

His smile wide, Hodgins replied, "Don't worry. I'll do my job and make sure I don't get us into trouble. You know me I'm enthusiastic. It won't be a problem when we're doing the interviews. I'll be as calm and as serious as I need to be."

Worried, Booth glumly responded, "I hope so."

Ooooooooooooooo

As Booth pulled into the driveway, Hodgins turned towards him and complained, "Damn when we go back to our hotel let's take the long way around. That road we took scared the shit out of me. Going down that steep of a road with semis barreling behind you on your ass . . . shit!"

Laughing, Booth shook his head, "Wimp." Exiting the car, the agent strode over to the front door and knocked on it. After a moment, the door opened and a man asked him, "Yeah?"

Pulling his badge from his jacket pocket, Booth smiled, "My name is Special Agent Seeley Booth and this here is my partner, Doctor Jack Hodgins. We're here investigating the murder of Agent Darnell."

Scanning the road behind Booth and Hodgins, Franklin Truax stood back and motioned for them to enter his house, "I was sad to hear about Agent Darnell. He was a friend of mine." Pointing towards the couch and chairs in his living room, Franklin urged them. "Take a load off. You want any coffee or a beer or something?"

His eyes flicking around the room, Booth sat down on the overstuffed chair next to the couch, "No thank you, we're fine."

Settling on the couch, Hodgins kept his eyes mostly on Booth as Franklin sat down on the rocking chair next to the fireplace.

Expressionless, Booth started his interview, "You contacted Agent Darnell with some information about a group called Free America?"

Glumly, Franklin rocked his chair a little, "Yeah . . . I used to be a deputy for the county here and I kind of keep an eye on things. Old habits are hard to break . . . anyway, I knew Agent Darnell and I heard about Free America and it made me nervous. I have a cousin who's friends with one of the group members and he told me that Bobby Freeman was starting to skirt the edge of reason, if you know what I mean. Bobby had some tax problems a few years back and he almost lost his farm. He started mouthing off some anti-government bullshit and blaming everyone else for his trouble instead of himself. He'd made a few unwise investments and they bit him on the ass."

Moving his gaze towards the window, Franklin shook his head, "God forbid people take responsibility for their own stupidity." Clearing his throat he looked at Booth again, "Anyways, my cousin said Bobby has been getting more erratic and started Free America. I haven't got a clue what that's even supposed to mean and I don't really care. Anyway, Bobby started hinting around about how they may start doing things to get the attention of the government and well it made me awful nervous so I contacted Agent Darnell and he said he'd come down and check into it. The next thing I know his body was found in Buchannan State park. I told my cousin to stay the hell away from Bobby Freeman and not to draw any attention to himself. The last thing I need is for Harry to get killed too. He has a wife and four kids."

Jotting down a few notes, Booth licked his bottom lip, "Okay, do you think Bobby Freeman killed Darnell?"

Grimly considering it, Franklin finally nodded his head, "Maybe. I would have said no a couple of years ago, but now I'm not so sure. Harry said that he's seen some rough characters hanging out at Bobby's farm and . . . well, yeah, he's changed and not for the better."

Placing his notebook back into his jacket, Booth stood up, "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't talk about Agent Darnell to anyone else. It might endanger your life. I also need you not to mention me or Dr. Hodgins to anyone. We're going to continue to look into this and see if we can find out what happened to Agent Darnell."

His hands resting on the arms of his chair, Franklin pushed himself up and nodded his head, "Alright not a problem. I hope you find out who killed Darnell. He was one of the good ones and . . . well he didn't deserve to die like that."

Standing, Hodgins held his hand out and shook Franklin's hand, "It was a pleasure meeting you Sir."

A smile breaking out on his face, Franklin replied, "Likewise young man."

Oooooooooooooooooo

So does my story sound interesting?


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooo

Entering the Denny's, Booth noticed Kevin and April sitting towards the back of the Diner at one of the Formica covered tables. Leading Hodgins over to the table, Booth removed his sun glasses and placed it in his shirt pocket. Following Booth, Hodgins took a chair next to his partner at the table.

Leaning over Booth shook Keven and April's hand and then picked up a menu. Scanning the food selections he made up his mind quickly as the waitress arrived, "I'll take the sirlon medium rare with zucchini and mashed potatoes and I'd like some coffee, black, thank you."

Hodgins, looked at the waitress and smiled, "I'll have what he's having only make my steak well-done."

The waitress smiled, collected their menus and left the table.

His voice low to keep it from carrying, Booth told Kevin and April what he'd accomplished so far in his investigation. Appreciating the information, Kevin glanced around and spoke quietly, "April and I went birdwatching over near Thomas Diehl's farm this morning and then over to Adam Rinard's farm this afternoon. They're some of the people that Darnell was interested in. We managed to . . ." Pausing, Kevin allowed the waitress to place cups of coffee before Booth and Hodgins and then a plate of pot roast in front of him and a plate of Bourbon chicken in front of April. Leaving, the waitress smiled at Hodgins, "I'll serve yours as soon as the steaks are ready."

After their server walked away, Kevin continued, "We managed to look around the Diehl farm without any trouble. We didn't see anyone and we even managed to get a look in the barn and two of the out buildings. We tried to look in the Rinard barn but we got caught and cussed out pretty thoroughly. April cried and the guy backed off some and we went on our way. That guy was pretty hard ass and I thought for sure I was going to have a fight on my hands."

A grin on her face, April interjected, "I took drama classes in college. I can cry at the drop of a hat when I need to."

Amused, Booth sipped some coffee and placed the cup down. "That's a handy trick, but I'm afraid it wouldn't work for me though."

Laughing, April picked up her fork, "No, probably not, but it's saved our asses more than once."

Holding up his hand, Hodgins quipped, "If we need it I can cry my eyes out."

A smirk on his face, Booth sipped some coffee, "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."

Gravy dripping off of his pot roast back onto the plate, Kevin pointed his fork at Booth, "We plan to check out Bobby Freeman's place tomorrow. He was the one Darnell seemed to be most concerned about, him and Reed O'Neal."

Shaking his head, Booth cautioned him, "I think Bobby Freeman may be our man. Darnell's contact, Mr. Truax told me that Bobby has been spouting anti-government bullshit for months. Why don't you let me and Hodgins do our tree presentation at the Freeman farm tomorrow and you and Amy tackle the O'Neal farm. We may pay a visit to Adam Rinard too and see if he's interested in our trees. I want to get a look in their barns and out buildings with Hodgins. He's an expert on radioactive stuff and I definitely need him to check out Bobby Freeman's place. Right now, I think we need to consider Freeman as our number one suspect."

The waitress back, she smiled and deposited a plate in front of Booth and Hodgins, "Enjoy."

Watching her walk away, Kevin agreed with Booth's plan. "Alright. April and I will check out the O'Neal place and we have a couple of other places we'd like to check out too. We may try to scope out Rinard's place again while we're at it."

Slicing his steak, Booth nodded his head, "Just be careful. If you go back to the Rinard place he may not fall for the crying thing a second time if he catches you."

Oooooooooooooooo

The volume down on the TV, Booth sat on the bed and called Brennan, "Hey, whatcha doing?"

_I just put Christine to bed and I'm doing some research._

Curious, Booth asked her, "So you're going to write that book after all? I thought you wanted to wait until you go back to work before you started?"

_I have the time now, Booth. I can do the research while I'm home and once I'm ready to start writing I'll be able to do it with fewer interruptions._

Absently flipping the television channels, Booth responded, "Okay, but remember not to overdo it. If you have any heavy duty stuff that needs to be done wait until I come back home and I'll take care of it."

_Don't worry about it, Booth. Dad decided to come over and stay with me for a few days. He said he wanted Christine to get used to him. He's been helping me keep everything clean._

Pleased, Booth stopped flipping the channels and settled on a ball game, "That sounds great. It'll give you two a chance to bond a little too."

_How is your investigation going? Have you been able to narrow down your suspect list?"_

Placing the remote on the bed, Booth kicked off his shoes and moved onto the bed with his back against the headboard, "Not yet, we just got started. Darnell's tipster seemed to think a farmer named Bobby Freeman was someone we should play close attention to. Hodgins and I are going out to his farm tomorrow morning."

_I wish I was there with you. I'm a very good partner and you know you can trust me to have your back. Hodgins is a good scientist but he has no experience undercover._

"Yeah, I wish you were here too, but you got to take care of yourself and our baby, so it's got to be this way for now." Rubbing his eyes, Booth yawned, "I love you Bones. I love you and I miss you and I sure as hell hope I get to come home soon."

_I miss you too Booth and I love you too. Hopefully you will find Darnell's murderer very soon and you can return to me and Christine. She misses you._

Surprised, Booth grinned, "You think so?"

_Of course. Why wouldn't she miss her Daddy?_

A grin plastered on his face, Booth confided, "Well, I figured since she's so young she doesn't really know I'm her Daddy yet. You really think she misses me?"

_Yes, I do. Babies are creatures of habit. She's used to you giving her a bath every evening and singing those silly nursery rhymes. She seemed very restless this evening and I don't really know any nursery rhymes so I had to sing something else. She misses you._

"Well, I miss her too." Feeling a little emotional, Booth rubbed his eyes, "So, anyway, I'll call you in the morning and see how you are before I head out to the Freeman place. If you need to call me you can, Bones. I love you."

_I love you Booth._

Oooooooooooooooooo

His phone ringing, Booth fumbled on the nightstand until his hand landed on the phone. Pulling it to his ear, Booth hit the accept call option, closed his eyes again and groaned, "What?"

_I'm sorry I called you Booth but I needed to hear your voice. Now that I have you may go back to sleep. I'm sorry. I won't wake you up again._

Forcing his eyes open, Booth sat up, "Wait, don't hang up. What's going on? Are you alright? Is the baby okay?"

_You're going to think I'm being silly, but I had a bad dream and I needed to hear your voice._

Rubbing the side of his face, Booth replied, "I don't think you're being silly, Bones. You have some pretty nasty dreams and that's a fact. I told you you could call me and I meant it. . . Are you alright?"

_Thank you. Yes, I'm fine. I just . . . I just needed to make sure you were okay that's all._

Sleepy, Booth fought a yawn, "I'm fine . . . fine, I promise. Do you want to talk for awhile?"

_No, go back to sleep. I heard your voice and I'm satisfied._

Yawning, Booth rubbed his face again, "Okay, but I can talk if you want me to. Call me again if you have to. I love you, Bones. It's not a problem if you call me back."

_Thank you. . . I love you Booth._

The call ended, Booth lay back down and closed his eyes, his phone still in his hand. After a few minutes, he was back asleep, the hum of tires on the highway in front of the motel serenading him back to sleep.

Oooooooooooooooo

So, what do you think of my story so far?


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for reviewing my story. It lets me know you are interested in my story.

I don't own Bones, not even a little bit.

Ooooooooooooo

Arriving at the Freeman farm, Booth scanned the yard surrounding the house and noticed a car with Maryland tags parked over near the barn. "Try to keep Freeman interested as long as you can. I want to check out the barn and the other buildings if I can. If I can't don't worry about it, I'll just come back tonight and scout the place out when everyone has gone to bed."

His hands clenching his seat belt, Hodgins glanced at the house and then at Booth, "What if he refuses to let us in the house? Do you want . . ."

Interrupting his friend, Booth frowned, "Don't ad lib. If he won't let us in the house then don't worry about it. Don't force the issue. I can always come back when he isn't here so let's just play it cool and don't worry about failure. This is just our first step. . . Got it?"

Relieved, Hodgins smiled, "Yeah, I just don't want to screw up."

His hand on his sunglasses, Booth adjusted them and smiled, "You won't. Just be yourself and you'll be fine."

Opening the car door, Booth exited the car and then leaned back in, "I work for you and my name is Buck Moosejaw. Don't forget those things and we'll be fine."

A sickly smile on his face, Hodgins left the car and scanned the house. Taking a few steps towards the porch, he came to a halt when the front door opened and an angry man stepped out onto the porch.

"Who are you?" Pointing towards the lane, Bobby Freeman growled, "I don't allow strangers onto my property now get the hell out."

Holding up his hands, Hodgins tried to assure the man, "My name is Dr. Jack Hodgins. I work for the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C. We're trying to interest farmers in this area in blight resistant American Chestnut trees. We're funding the research and it won't cost you anything, just a little space on your land where the trees are planted, if you're interested."

Puzzled, Freeman stepped down from the porch, "American Chestnut trees won't grow around here. The blight gets them every time."

Confident now that he had the man's attention, Hodgins replied, "Yes but we think we've come up with a tree that will resist the blight. We're contacting farmers in the area to see if they'd be interested in our experiment. Like I said it won't cost you a thing. . . In fact, we'll pay you to allow us to plant the trees. All you have to do is let them grow or die. We'll come out once or twice a year and inspect them and that's pretty much it. . . . Oh and you also get to keep the chestnuts. We just want a few each year, if the tree produces any. You can have the majority of the crop to do with as you wish."

Clearly interested, Freeman moved a little closer to Hodgins. Glancing at Booth who was standing passively near the car, the farmer smiled, "How much will you pay me to use my land for the trees?"

Excited, Hodgins replied, "Well, we were thinking 500 dollars per tree. The maximum amount of trees we'd like to plant on each farm is ten trees but we'll settle for four. We think we've got the right tree and we really want to start soon. You're the first farmer I've tried. I have a list of twenty farms I'm going to contact in the area, so if you aren't interested that's okay."

A frown appearing on his face, Freeman rubbed his chin, "Do I get to keep the trees? I'd probably do it if you'd let me keep the trees as well as the nuts."

Blithely, Hodgins responded, "Oh sure. That's not a problem. We're just interested in the data. We'd come out and measure the tree, gather soil samples around the tree and take some of the chestnuts when or if the tress produce any. We'd want you to keep the trees for at least ten years."

Licking his lips, Freeman nodded his head, "Okay, I think we have a deal."

Glancing at Booth, Hodgins smiled, "Well, my assistant and I need to check your farm and gather some soil samples. If you have an idea where you want to plant the trees then you can show us now or we can come back tomorrow. We'll check out the area and once I've had a chance to talk to some of the other farmers we might be ready to plant the trees in about a month. We really appreciate your cooperation. You know the American Chestnut contains more nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium in its leaves when you compare them to other trees in the area. That means that they return more nutrients to the soil which helps the growth of the plants in the area."

Amused at the enthusiasm of the scientist standing in front of him, Freeman laughed, "Really more information than I needed Doc." Glancing back at the house, the farmer hooked his thumbs in his belt and turned back towards Hodgins, "I have some stuff I need to take care of." Pointing towards the barn, he continued, "I have some land behind the barn that I'm not using right now. I used to raise horses over there but it got too expensive. If you'll go down this lane and past the barn you can check that piece of land out. When you're done come back here and let me know if you're interested."

Reaching out for Freeman's hand, Hodgins shook it, "Thank you Sir. We'll go down and take a bunch of soil samples. Measure the land, check for available water and such stuff and then we'll come back and let you know if the land is suitable."

Turning back towards the porch, Freeman commented, "Take your time. Talk to me when you're done."

Oooooooooooooooo

Parking his car near the barn, Booth looked around and noticed the small door to the left of the double doors in the back of the barn. "I'm going to try to get a look in the barn."

Exiting the car, Booth popped the trunk and left it open. "Go ahead and start doing whatever it is you do. I'll be right back." Walking over towards the barn, Booth stopped when the smaller door opened. A crooked smile on his face, Booth pointed over his shoulder, "Hi, I'm with Jeffersonian in Washington D.C. Mr. Freeman gave us permission to check out this piece land to see if it's suitable to plant trees on. I wanted to see how stable this barn is. We may want to keep some supplies here."

A dark scowl on his face, Adam Rinard stared intently at Booth, "I don't know anything about it but you can't use the barn. Bobby stores hay and feed in here for his cattle."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth kept the smile on his face, "Not a problem. We'll just bring our supplies every time we come up here to check on our trees . . . if we plant them here."

Curious, Adam closed the door and walked over towards where Hodgins was standing, "What kind of trees do you plan to plant?"

Resting a shovel near between his feet, Hodgins explained why they were there as Booth removed some equipment from the trunk and walked out into the middle of the field. Placing the two bags and small shovel on the ground, he knelt and started to collect soil samples.

Oooooooooooooooo

That evening, Booth, Hodgins, Agents Spice and White met in Booth's motel room. Sitting on the beds and chairs, they discussed what they'd accomplished so far.

A bottle of water in his hand, Booth uncapped it and drank some of the water. Satisfied, Booth placed the bottle on the dresser, "Okay, we made contact with Freeman and Rinard. They both agreed to have trees planted on their property which allowed us to look around their farms a little. I didn't get a chance to look in Freeman's barn but I did get a look in Rinard's barn when we were on his property. I plan to go back tonight to get a look at Freeman's barn. What we're looking for may be in his house, but right now I'd like to at least eliminate the barn. I can always go back when he isn't there and search his house."

A little worried, Hodgins asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Shaking his head, Booth smiled, "Nope. I know what to look for, I'll be fine. It will just be a quick trip in and out. I'll go around midnight and I should be back by two. If I find anything suspicious, I'll arrange a warrant and have April and Kevin serve it. We'll have you look at what ever I find. We'll work out how we'll do that when the time comes. I don't want to blow your or my cover unless I have to."

A feeling of dread filling his thoughts, Hodgins pointed at the other agents, "Maybe you should take some backup with you."

Retrieving his water bottle, Booth opened the cap, "I don't need it. They have their own jobs to do tonight. They have to check out some buildings at the O'Neal place tonight and then they have to drive over to Somerset county to check into a couple of leads. You can stay here and be on standby. If we get into trouble we're counting on you to contact the FBI in Pittsburgh and tell them to send help."

Downcast, Hodgins apologized, "I wish I could be of more help than that."

Reaching over and patting his friend's arm, Booth smiled, "You are helping. You have your job to do and we have ours. It's okay. You're doing fine. I just brought you along to help with my cover and if we do get warrants served anywhere you'll be able to confirm what we're looking for. You're not an agent so I don't want to place you in any danger if I can help it."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for reviewing my story. I really appreciate them.

I don't own Bones, not even a smidgen.

Oooooooooooooooo

The moon a crescent overhead, Hodgins scanned the barn with his infrared binoculars. Certain he was in the right location, he looked for guards and was surprised to find none. Lowering them, he glanced at his watch and noticed the time was approaching midnight. _The witching hour, this would be so cool if it wasn't so damn serious._

Raising his binoculars again, Hodgins surveyed the area and found the yard surrounding the barn to be vacant. Placing them back into his bag, he carefully zipped it up and then slung the bag over his shoulder. Moving slowly from the forest, he crouched down and silently crossed the yard to the barn. His steps slow and quiet, he moved around to the back of the barn and found the small door next to the set of large double doors, all of them closed.

Nervously, he checked the area and found it to be quiet and peaceful with just a few crickets and frogs singing in the clear night air. Opening the smaller door, he slipped in quickly shutting the door behind him. Hiding behind a pile of hay bales, he listened carefully trying to determine if the object of his search was in the building.

Alert, he heard a faint moan coming from the middle of the barn. Anxiously, he moved towards the edge of the pile of hay and peered around the bales towards the area where he thought the noise was coming from. Noticing that the only light in the building came from a lamp set up on an old desk towards the front of the barn, he moved slowly past the hay towards the dark shape slumped on the floor near one of the beams holding up the loft above.

Reaching his destination, Hodgins knelt down and placed his hand over the prisoner's mouth, "Shh, I'm going to free you, can you move?"

In a haze and unsure of who he was trying to help him, Booth nodded his head.

Hodgins placed his bag down quietly next to the agent and pulled out a small pair of bolt cutters from his bag. After untying the rag from around the agent's eyes, he carefully placed the blades around the chain holding Booth to the beam and pulled the handles together until he heard a satisfying clink and the chain fell to the floor. Moving the cutters towards the agent's wrists, the entomologist cut the handcuffs in the middle to separate Booth's hands. The cuffs were still attached to his wrists but with the chain between the cuffs broken, Booth could now use his hands.

His lips against Booth's ear, Hodgins asked, "Look can you move? Are you hurt?"

Nodding his head, Booth hissed, "Yes, I can move."

Relieved, Hodgins placed the bolt cutters back in the bag, zipped it and slung it back over his shoulder. Placing his hand under Booth's right armpit, he helped the Agent stand. Tugging the man towards the back of the barn, Hodgins led Booth towards the back door. Once they arrived, he slowly opened the door, peered into the darkness and scouted the area to make sure they were alone.

Satisfied, he slipped through the door, pulling Booth with him. Keeping a firm grasp on the larger man's arm, he moved slowly from the barn to the trees. Once they were amongst the trees, Hodgins continued to lead his rescued friend through the woods on a faint path Hodgins had found earlier that evening.

Booth, trying to keep up with the slow moving man, clamped his teeth shut and endured the pain he was in. Grateful that he'd been found, he wanted to help Hodgins get them out of there and he knew that noise would be their enemy. Carefully watching his feet as they moved through the dark woods, Booth was amazed that Hodgins was as quiet as he was.

They'd walked about two miles when Hodgins stopped and leaned closer to his friend, "Okay, we have to leave the path here. Just keep close and let me know when you need to stop and rest. We're still about two miles from my car."

Nodding his head, Booth asked him quietly, "Do you have any water?"

Embarrassed that he hadn't thought of that earlier, Hodgins unzipped his bag, pulled a bottle of water from the depths of the bag and handed it to Booth. Watching the agent drink until the bottle was empty, Hodgins blushed knowing that Booth had been extremely thirsty and he hadn't bothered to give the man something to drink. Taking the empty bottle from his friend, he placed it back in the bag, "Sorry man."

Puzzled, Booth shook his head, "For what?"

Shaking his head, Hodgin turned and started to walk slowly through the woods again. Following him, Booth watched his feet as he walked hoping that he wouldn't fall. _If I fall, I'm not sure I can get back up._

Ooooooooooooooo

His breathing ragged, Booth finally sank to his knees holding his ribs. Hodgins, stepping around an oak tree realized that Booth was no longer following him and hurried back to where the man was kneeling. Speaking softly, Hodgins asked, "Are you alright? Do you need to rest?"

Nodding his head, Booth stifled a groan. Licking his lips, he queried, "How much further?"

His hand lowering his bag, Hodgins rested it on the ground and rummaged inside for another bottle of water. Handing it to Booth, he informed him, "Well, if I've been keeping track correctly, I think we'll reach the car in about fifteen or twenty minutes. I was too afraid to drive any closer. I didn't want to warn them or get caught, know what I mean?"

Drinking the water, Booth tried to do it slowly. Overwhelmingly thirsty, he drank until the bottle was empty. Handing it too, his friend, Booth sighed, "Yeah."

Resting his hand on Booth's shoulder, Hodgins gripped it momentarily and released it, "I really wanted to find you sooner, Booth, I swear. I . . ."

Weary, Booth shook his head, "We'll talk later. Let's get to your car and we'll worry about what comes next, okay?"

Standing, Hodgins scanned the area and helped Booth to stand. Once he was sure the Agent was stable enough to walk, he led Booth towards their destination.

ooooooooooo

The car where he'd left it, Hodgins thanked God and hurried towards the vehicle. Unlocking the passenger door, he opened it and helped Booth enter the passenger side. Once the agent was settled, he closed the door as quietly as possible and ran around the car to the drivers side. Unlocking the door and opening it, he slid into the car and handed his bag to Booth. Locking the doors, he placed his key in the ignition and started it. Backing up, he soon had the car on a dirt road. Placing the car in drive, Hodgins glanced at Booth, "There's more water in the bag plus some peanut butter crackers and a package of almonds. Help yourself."

Opening the bag, Booth found the peanut butter crackers and hungrily opened the package and ate the crackers rapidly. His hand moving around the inside of the bag, he found another bottle of water, opened it and drank half the bottle. "I refused to drink anything they tried to give me. No way I was going to trust those assholes."

His eyes on the narrow road, Hodgins shook his head, "I didn't know you were missing until you didn't come back this morning. I waited until this evening and when you didn't show up I knew something was really wrong. I rented a car from Enterprise and decided to look for you. I used my GPS to find you. Thank goodness you had us sew those tracking devices in the hems of our pants legs. I told Kevin that I was going to look for you since you didn't come back and he tried to talk me out of doing it, but I ignored him and came anyway. He wanted me to wait until tomorrow morning when he and April came back. He thought you were just busy scouting the Freeman and Rinard farms. I just couldn't wait, man. I used my laptop and it showed me where your signal was coming from. Man, I got to tell you this was really nerve wracking. I was scared to death to go back home and tell Dr. B I lost you. She'd probably . . . "

Losing patience, Booth interrupted him, "Hodgins . . . "

Glancing at his friend, the scientist chuckled, "Yeah, right . . . anyway, I parked my car a little over four miles from the Freeman farm at some house that's up for sale, waited until the sun went down and walked through the woods until I found the barn. I knew you had to be in trouble since your GPS showed that you hadn't moved from the same spot for hours. I waited until midnight because I figured if you were being held prisoner then you're kidnappers might be sleeping by then. Anyway, here you are so mission accomplished. Can you tell me what happened or do you want to wait until we get back?"

Leaning against the door, Booth groaned in pain, "Yeah, might as well tell you now."

Gripping his steering wheel, Hodgins remarked, "I don't think I like undercover work as much as I thought I would. Okay go ahead."

ooooooooooooooooo

So are you still interested in my story?


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for reviewing my story. I really appreciate it.

I don't own Bones, but I wouldn't mine owning just a little bit if Hart Hanson is offering.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Tired, Booth closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain he was in. "I scouted the area around the Freeman farm and found an old abandoned house about two miles from his place. I parked my car next to the house and walked through the woods over to the Freeman farm. When I got there, there were several cars and trucks parked in front of Freeman's house and two near the barn. I decided to stay in the woods and watch from there. The two cars parked near the barn had Pennsylvania tags, but the other cars near the house were mostly out of state, three from Maryland, one from West Virginia and one from Pennsylvania."

His ribs throbbing, Booth folded his arms carefully across his chest and continued, "I wrote the tag numbers down and left it with my bag in the woods. I need to get that back as soon as I can. . . . Almost all of the people visiting Freeman left around eleven yesterday morning. The two locals that owned the cars near the barn stayed behind and argued with Freeman for about fifteen minutes and then they all came down to the barn and went inside. They were in there for about ten minutes and then I heard some shouting and they came out again. One of the locals knocked Freeman down to the ground and the other one stood by while it happened. Freeman just lay there looking at them. The two then shouted some threats and just left."

Curious, Hodgins asked, "Do you have any idea what they were fighting over?"

Shaking his head, Booth opened his eyes and stared at the road ahead, "I was too far away to really hear what was going on. I heard some choice cuss words and the one that knocked Freeman down threatened to kill him, but that was as he was walking over to his car and he was shouting. Whatever happened, it looks like Freeman has pissed off a few people."

His turn off ahead, Hodgins took the on ramp onto the Lincoln Highway and asked, "Do you think it has to with Agent Darnell's death?"

Closing his eyes again, Booth replied, "I don't know. . . . After the two locals left, Freeman got up and went up to the house. I decided that might be a good time to get a look at the barn, so, that's what I did. I took my time once I was in there and took pictures of some fans that were disassembled. I got their serial numbers and make and model. The barn really didn't have anything else except farm equipment and some cattle feed and some hay so I went back to the woods, grabbed my bag, made a few notes, emailed my pictures to Angela and then waited to see if Freeman would leave his house. He finally did that around one."

"Why didn't you call me and let me know what was going on?" Driving the speed limit, Hodgins overtook a semi, passed it and returned to his lane. "Maybe I could have come out and helped you."

Soberly, Booth shook his head and responded, "No, I needed you where you were just in case this blew up in my face. Since it did, well . . . After Freeman left, I entered his house and I had a look around. I didn't find the lab I was looking for, so we need to look elsewhere for that. Anyway, I was walking across the yard back down to the barn when someone came out of the woods on a four-wheeler. He had a rifle on him and he took a shot at me. I ran down to the barn and around it. I didn't have a lot of choices so I ducked in to the barn and waited to see what would happen. He wasn't alone. Another guy came out of the woods on a four-wheeler and he was armed too. Long story short, they cornered me. . . . I must be getting old. I'd never have let that happen when I was younger."

Amused, Hodgins shook his head, "You aren't superman."

Ignoring him, Booth stared out of the passenger window, "They wanted to know who I was so I told them I was Buck Moosejaw working for the Jeffersonian. I told them about the trees but they weren't buying what I was selling. They handcuffed me and then attached a chain to the cuffs and then one of them attached it to a post in the barn. They weren't my cuffs, so I have no idea where they got the ones they used on me. If I had to guess they may have belonged to Agent Darnell . . . The older one beat the shit of me trying to make me change my story. . . I didn't which just made him angrier. I'm pretty sure the guy was Reed O'Neal, looked like his picture anyway."

Booth felt the dull pain in his ribs intensify and gave Hodgins a half smile, "What an Amateur. Bones hits harder than he does. . . Anyway, Freeman came back after a while and freaked out when he found me in the barn with his friends. He told them I was working for the Jeffersonian but those two bastards said that I was probably a government spy and they didn't want to let me go. Freeman was furious and told them that the Sheriff might arrest them for assault if I pressed charges but those two clowns told him that I couldn't do shit if I was dead. Freeman . . . well, he made them leave the barn and go up to the house to talk. That was around sunset and I never saw anyone again until you showed up."

A headache creeping in, Hodgins rolled his shoulders, "This whole thing is a mess. What are we going to do now?"

Watching the road head, Booth finally replied, "We'll go back to the motel and when Kevin and April get back tomorrow morning, we'll go get my car and bag. The bag is still out in the woods. We'll run down the license plates from my notes and we'll see what Angela found out from the pictures I sent her. Right now, I have Freeman and those two bastards where I want them. I can arrest them for kidnapping and assault of a Federal Agent but we need to wait a bit. We need to find the lab and make sure they don't have any more Polonium-210. That's the important part. We need to find the Lab."

"I talked to Kevin and he said they still didn't get a chance to check out Reed O'Neal's barn or his house. The man's wife is home sick and he has some dogs chained up outside the barn." Spying the Breezewood exit, Hodgins signaled that he planned to take the exit, "Maybe that's where the Lab is. Kevin said he planned to check it out tomorrow."

Glumly, Booth nodded his head, "I think O'Neal may be the guy we're looking for not Freeman. I think we can use my kidnapping and assault as probable cause and get a warrant. We'll have some agents come down from Pittsburgh to give us a hand implementing the warrant."

"I think the first thing we need to do is for you to let me look you over." Driving slowly down the main throughway of Breezewood, Hodgins informed his friend, "You look terrible."

Leaning against the passenger door, Booth replied, "I feel like shit. While you're fixing me up, I need you to take pictures of my injuries. When those assholes go on trial we need to be able to prove that I was injured."

Oooooooooooooooo

Sitting on his bed, Booth pulled his lips between his teeth as Hodgins wrapped his ribs.

Worried about his friend, Hodgins advised him, "I still think you need to see a doctor. I think you have at least three cracked ribs and those contusions you have on your chest and stomach look pretty nasty. The worst one is on your left thigh though. What did he do, kick you?"

Stoic, Booth replied, "Yeah, he did."

Grimly, Hodgins shook his head, "Dr. B is going to have a cow when she sees you like this."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "It won't be the first time."

Closing his first aid kit, Hodgins responded, "It's a good thing I brought a first aid kit with me."

Curious, Booth asked, "Why did you?"

Chuckling, Hodgins answered him, "Angela said I'd probably need it. She says you have a tendency to get hurt and I better be prepared."

Not amused, Booth glared at his friend, "Ha ha, very funny. . . . Thanks."

Nodding his head, Hodgins assured him, "Not a problem, Booth. I'm your partner and partners take care of each other. You do know that Dr B is going insist that you see a doctor?"

Resigned, Booth acknowledged him, "Oh yeah."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you for your interest in my story. I really appreciate the reviews.

I don't own Bones. Alas, that makes me just a little sad.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Gingerly stepping out of the car, Booth walked over to where his car was parked and checked to make sure it hadn't been broken into. Walking back to Kevin's car, Booth sighed, "It's okay, I need to go get my bag."

Shaking his head, Kevin informed him, "No way, man. You stay here and I'll go get it. It'll take you too long to get it and we need to be out of here as fast as possible. I don't want Freeman or O'Neal to find us here."

April, studying Booth's pale features, nodded her head, "Kevin is right. Let him get it for you. It'll be faster."

Explaining where his bag was located, Booth walked back over to his car, "I'm going to drive back to my motel. Once you get my bag, bring it there and we'll contact Angela Montenegro at the Jeffersonian."

His hand in the air, Kevin jogged over to the woods and disappeared from their view. Once Kevin was gone, April went back to her car and sat in the driver's side while Booth sat in his car and leaned back against the seat. Blowing air softly through his lips, fighting the pain he was in, he finally started his car and left.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Back in his hotel room, Booth flipped through his notebook while Kevin, April and Hodgins looked on. "Hodgins called Angela about the fan parts while you guys made a coffee run. She said to give her a few minutes and she'll call us back." As if on cue, Hodgins' phone rang.

Listening to his wife, Hodgins smiled, "Listen Babe, Booth has some license plate numbers he needs you to run. I'm going to hand the phone to Booth and you tell him what you found out about the fans. You did great, Angela." His laptop open, Hodgins logged in, "Yeah, we're all doing fine, I miss you too Babe."

Handing the phone to Booth, Hodgins smiled, "Here you go." Speaking very quietly, he reminded Booth, "Don't tell Angela about your adventure, she'll tell Dr. B."

Reading off the license plates, Booth recorded the owner's of the cars and trucks into his notebook as he got the information from Angela, "That's great, Ange." Handing the notebook to Kevin, Booth asked, "Were you able to do anything with the information I gave you about the fans?" Listening, Booth smiled, "That's great, Angela. This is really good. Thanks. Tell Bones I should be home in a day or so. I'm going to call her tonight to let her know when." Ending the call, Booth smiled, "The fans were ordered and paid for by Margaret O'Neal. She's the wife of Reed O'Neal. I don't know why Freeman had the fan parts but Angela says that Margaret Reed used to work for an environmental company in Hagerstown. She's got a doctorate in Environmental Engineering."

Triumphant, April shot her fist in the air, "Bingo."

A smile mirroring hers Booth responded, "Yeah, I think we have enough probable cause to get our search warrant. Let's just hope Reed O'Neal didn't run home and destroy our evidence last night."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Several black SUVs swarming up the driveway, the O'Neals were surprised to find several FBI agents at their front and back doors.

Calling out to the people inside, Booth informed them, "FBI, O'Neal. We're not going to go away, so you might as well come out now."

Frightened, Margaret O'Neal begged her husband, "Please Reed. Don't do anything. It's over now."

His wife sick and haggard, Reed frowned and nodded his head, "I knew we were done last night, Honey and so did you. I'm sorry."

Kissing him, Margaret started to cry, "If I hadn't . . . this is my fault. I'm sorry."

Shaking his head, Reed returned her kiss, "I knew what I was doing Honey. I just shouldn't have involved you." Walking over to the door, Reed shouted, "This isn't Ruby Ridge or Waco. I'm opening the door and we're coming out."

Glancing at his agents, Booth called out, "When you come out, have you hands on your head."

Turing to look at his wife, Reed smiled, "I should have listened to you, Honey. I'm really sorry I did this to you." Turning he opened the door and stepped out on the porch, "It's just me and my wife here. She's very sick so please don't rough her up." Walking down the steps, Reed kept his hands on his head while his wife slowly followed him. Stopping at the bottom of the steps, he snarled at Booth, "I knew you were a Fed. When Bobby called me and told me you were gone this morning, I knew you'd be here sooner or later."

Watching Kevin cuff Reed, Booth replied, "You killed an FBI Agent. You're under arrest for the murder of Agent Darnell, the kidnapping and assault of a Federal Agent, me and some other shit we'll go over later with you and your lawyer."

Kevin, making sure Reed and his wife were secure, read them their rights, making sure they acknowledged that they understood them.

Using his chin, Reed pointed at his wife, "We were going to give up this morning anyway. Margaret is getting worse. We knew this morning when she woke and she started throwing up. She's been exposed to Polonium-210. It was an accident, her and Agent Darnell were exposed by accident, but it don't matter none, does it? He's dead and she will be soon." Shaking his head, Reed sighed, "My wife is paying for my stupidity, God help her."

Tears leaking down her cheek, Margaret explained, "I saved Agent Darnell from a terrible death, not that that matters in the long run. Anyway, it doesn't matter does it? He showed up at the house and said he was investigating a kidnapping of a child from Altoona. The eye witness gave him the license for our truck and he wanted to search our house. I knew we didn't have anything to do with any kidnapping and Reed was over in Hagerstown selling some hogs, so I said he could search the house and property. Feds do what they want anyway. I figured it was just a trick to look in our house, but I wasn't going to give him an excuse to cause us trouble. . . . While we were in my lab, he bumped a jar I had with Polonium-210 in it and he broke it. The stuff got into the air and I knew we'd both been exposed. I panicked and he kind of freaked out when I did and I . . . I shot the Agent and then I cleaned up my lab as best as I could. I shot the Agent, not Reed. He didn't have anything to do with it. Like I said, he wasn't even home at the time . . . I waited for Reed to come home and we put Darnell's body in a big freezer we have in the barn. We didn't know what to do with the body but we knew we couldn't keep it here. After a few days, we moved the body to Buchanan State Park. We were surprised it took so long for the body to be found. We thought he would be found in a few days. We put the body near a hiking trail, but I guess the weather has been bad and well . . ."

Disgusted, Booth shook his head, "You left the body for animals to eat. Most of the body was consumed which means the animals ingested Polonium-210. What happens if someone hunts one of those animals and they eat the meat?"

The color fleeing her face as well as Reed's, Margaret sobbed, "Oh my God."

Exhaling deeply, Booth shook his head, "If anyone else turns up dead because of this you'll both be held liable for their deaths too."

Crying, Margaret shook her head, "Not me, I'm dying." Turning towards Reed, Margaret apologized, "I'm sorry, Reed, this is all my fault. I'm sorry."

His eyes boring into the ground, Reed shook his head, "This is my fault, Margaret, not yours. I talked you into making the stuff for us. I let my hate kill you . . . . This is all my fault and I'm really really sorry. I never should have listened to Bobby Freeman. He's a loser and I guess I am too."

Furious at the stupidity of the O'Neal's, Booth walked away, "Kevin, they're all yours. I'm going home."

Ooooooooooooooo

Kissing his wife, Hodgins felt happy to be home, "I'm telling you, Babe, being undercover isn't as much fun as I thought it would be. It's damned nerve wracking and dangerous."

Not sure what was going on, Angela asked, "But you and Booth were okay, that's what you told me."

Releasing her, Hodgins stepped back and frowned, "Well, we were and we weren't. I couldn't really tell you what was going on because it would have worried you and Dr. B."

Her hand snaking out, she grabbed her husband's wrist, "What happened? Did something happen to you or Booth?"

Nodding his head slowly, Hodgins glumly replied, "Yeah . . . to Booth. He was captured by those nuts and they beat the shit out of him. I had to rescue him. He thinks they were going to kill him."

Appalled, Angela placed her hand over her mouth, "Oh my God!"

Grimly, Hodgins responded, "Yeah, wait until Dr. B gets a look at Booth. It is not going to be pleasant for him."

Ooooooooooooooo

Her arms wrapped around her mate, Brennan frowned when he grunted and stepped a half a pace back from her. "What's wrong, Booth?"

Realizing that she was going to find out sooner or later, Booth decided sooner was better. Lifting his t-shirt slowly over his head, he heard her gasp as he finally pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it onto the bed.

Appalled, Brennan placed her hand gently over his chest, "Booth, what happened to you?"

Taking her hand in his, Booth assured her, "It looks worse than it is."

Sure he was trying to protect her, Brennan shook her head, "You're chest is wrapped and from the bruises that I can see on your shoulder, upper chest and stomach, I'd say you probably have broken or cracked ribs. Am I correct?"

A slight shrug of his shoulders his response, Booth frowned, "Hodgins thinks so."

Concerned, Brennan echoed his words, "Hodgins thinks so? Does that mean you haven't seen a physician?"

Nodding his head, Booth released her hand and sat down on the chair near the closet, "Yeah, that's what it means. I didn't have time to go to the hospital."

Feeling weak, Brennan sat on the bed, "Booth, tell me what happened to you."

Explaining about his kidnapping and the beating he took, he concluded, "Hodgins found me and got me out of there. He did a good job. I'd rather that he'd waited until Kevin and April had come back, but he got me out of there and no one was hurt so it turned out alright."

"I should have been there." Feeling guilty that her partner had gone into a dangerous situation without proper backup, Brennan grimaced, "Hodgins didn't protect you like I could have."

Standing, Booth moved over to the bed and sat down. Moving his arm around her waist, he tried to assure her, "Hey, you're not Wonder Woman, okay? You've just had a baby. You need to recover from that and Christine needs her Mommy right now. You had to stay behind. You know that and I know that. Sure, I got hurt but it's just bruises and well maybe a cracked rib or two but anyway you look at it, it's not that bad." Placing his hand on her chin, he tilted her head so he could kiss her.

Their kiss growing in passion, Brennan placed her arm tightly around her mate only to hear him grunt and move a little away from her. "I'm sorry, Booth. I really think we need to have your injuries checked out."

Nodding his head, Booth spoke lightly, "Alright. We can go over to Emergency, our home away from home."

"That's not funny, Booth." Glaring at her partner, Brennan stood up. "I don't like it when you get hurt."

Standing, Booth smiled, "I'm not crazy about it either, Bones, believe me."

Leaving the room to get Christine, Brennan promised him, "The next time you go under cover it will be with me, Booth. I know how to take care of you and protect you. No more outsiders, Booth. No more."

A smile on his lips, Booth followed Brennan out into the hallway, "You do a great job of taking care of me, Bones. I wouldn't have it any other way."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

This is the end of this story. Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


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